Australian punks Hellions are back and they’ve brought their new album Indian Summer with them. If you think that this is just going to be another hardcore punk album, you’re in for one hell of a surprise; Hellions are here to make you think again!
The album opens with the rebellion-fuelled punk anthem ‘Hellions’ that screams of youth and liberty with an instant hardcore kick from guest vocalists (and tour buddies) JJ Peters and Real Bad of Deez Nuts. That’s not the only guest spot on the album; ‘Polyphasic Sleep i) Aurora’ features both the clean pop-punk stylings of vocalist Duane Hazell (Heroes for Hire) and metalcore influence of Kyle Erich (In Hearts Wake). Add to that the theatricality of classical string instruments throughout, and this track makes for the biggest surprise on the album.
There’s no shortage of ferocity on Indian Summer– even when the alt-rock piano melody of ‘Mea Culpa’ introduces a frail delicacy to the band and ‘Nottingham’ gives us a melodic break with sentimental tones and beautiful breakdowns, ‘Creasy i) Styrofoam Lungs’ swoops in seconds later and takes us right back to the unrelenting fury and aggression of hardcore punk. With nu-metal guitar riffs, cheeky little breakdowns and an epic finale that punk usually steers away from, this track has it all. The chaos continues with songs such as the no-nonsense ‘Lie’ and the back-to-basics ‘23’, which shows the band’s authentic punk roots.
This is definitely not just your typical hardcore punk album- the exotic instrumental ‘ii) Technicolour Yawn’ alone is the last thing you’d expect! Indian Summer has everything you need to make an angsty, brutal punk album; but with a few awesome surprises thrown in for good measure!
